Presenting research notes on ambulance, rescue, and EMS history in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County. See Google drive of source articles. See web page with assorted research notes. 1930 to 1949 1937 – Winston-Salem Rescue Squad organized. First rescue squad in the state. They performed rescue functions but no transport services. 1950 to 1959 1958 – …
Continue reading ‘Winston-Salem and Forsyth County Ambulance and Rescue History’ »
Presenting research notes on ambulance, rescue, and EMS history in Greensboro and Guilford County. See Google drive of source articles. Read research notes. Timeline Pre-History 1910 – First ambulance was a horse-drawn unit, operated from 1910 to 1915. Sold to a woman’s group, likely the Greensboro Ambulance Association. They mounted the carriage on a truck …
Continue reading ‘Greensboro and Guilford County Ambulance and Rescue History’ »
This is a blog version of a Facebook posting from April 6, 2025. Looking back at the Radiator Specialty Company explosion and fire in Union County, NC, on November 26, 1980, from newspaper accounts in the Charlotte News and Charlotte Observer over the next couple days. On a Wednesday morning, just after 9 a.m., an …
Continue reading ‘Radiator Specialty Company Explosion – November 26, 1980’ »
Presenting research notes on the history of rescue and ambulance services in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. Read research notes (pdf) See Google Drive folder of clippings. Summary Before 1960 1921 – First advertisements appear for ambulance services in newspapers. Operators are car and taxi companies. 1926 – Funeral homes begin adding ambulance services. 1947 – …
Continue reading ‘Charlotte and Mecklenburg County Rescue and EMS History’ »
See photos from the ceremony. On Saturday, May 10, 2025, the following names were added to the North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Memorial at the annual ceremony in downtown Raleigh. See below for narratives and notes, about each member and how they died. John Alexander Bowen – Fayetteville – 4/16/22 Nathan Clark Burgess – Raleigh – …
Continue reading ‘North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Ceremony – May 10, 2025’ »
This is a blog version of a Facebook posting on March 25, 2025 Recounting the fatal helicopter crash in downtown Kernersville on September 25, 1984, during the attempted rescue/recovery of an injured worker atop a decommissioned water tower. The incident started about 6:10 p.m. after 19 year-old Charles Glenwood Tompkins Jr. was injured while working …
Continue reading ‘Kernersville Helicopter Rescue and Crash, September 25, 1984’ »
Joseph Rodriguez / Greensboro News and Record photos On April 13, 1985, the largest fire in Greensboro’s history destroyed turn-of-the-last-century warehouse buildings–including some that were nearly finished being renovated into apartments–on both sides of the 300 block of South Davie Street. The three-alarm fire was battled for hours, it destroyed and severely damaged seven buildings, …
Continue reading ‘The Davie Street Fire in Greensboro – April 13, 1985’ »
Added Information – 2025 On April 16, 1956, Raleigh City Council approved a request from Civil Defense authorities to use the fifth floor of the Raleigh Fire Department drill tower as a temporary ground observer station. See excerpt below, as well as council’s rejection of establishing an observatory post in the Jaycee Park. By December …
Continue reading ‘Cold War History – Ground Observer Corps’ »
Bucket trucks working. Let’s look back at the Tarrytown Mall fire in Rocky Mount on August 12, 1967. Tarrytown Mall was the first enclosed mall in eastern North Carolina, the third enclosed mall in the state, and the 26th enclosed mall in the United States. (The first was Southdale in Edina, MN, a suburb of …
This is a blog version of a Facebook posting from March 27, 2021. Who wants some Eden and Tri-Cities fire history? Found these pics, maps excerpts, and news articles from various sources. Three departments merged in 1967 to create Eden FD: Leaksville FD Jan 1915 – No fire department. [Sanborn] Dec 1921 – Two volunteer …
Continue reading ‘Eden Fire History – Plus Leaksville, Spray, and Draper’ »